Ladder supporting structure



July 6, 1943.

E. L. SEILER LADDER SUPPORTING sTR'ucTuRE Filed Dec. 15,

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR E.L.Seiler BY ATTYS July 6, 1943. j E. L. SEILER 2,323,425

- LADDER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E.L Sez'ler W rui:

g Arrrs Patented July 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,323,425 LADDER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Ernest Seiler, Stockton, Calif. I Application December 15, 1941, Serial No. 423,069

4 Claims.

This invention relates to portable ladders, my principal object being to provide a structure, adapted to be attached to an ordinary ladder, by means of which said ladder may be supported in a perpendicular position a convenient painting or operating distance from a vertical wall without danger of the ladder tipping over, and enabling the worker to operate equally well on the wall from all points in the length of the ladder.

A further object of the invention is' to provide a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a front fragmentary elevation of a conventional ladder showing the same as mounted in connection with my improved supporting structure.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the top unit of the supporting structure detached.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the base unit of the structure detached.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse section of the ladder showing a removal rung-supported seat which may be used with the supporting structure.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the conventional ladder here shown comprises parallel side rails I of rectangular form in section and connected at intervals by rungs 2. The base or ladder-supporting unit of the structure comprises as its main member, a vertical rectangular plate 3 at least as wide as the overall width of the ladder and stiffened by an inturned base flange 4.

Pairs of flanges 5 project upwardly from the flange 4 at the back of the plate 3 adjacent the sides thereof and rigid therewith, the flanges of each pair being spaced apart to receive a rail I therebetween, and being wider horizontally than the corresponding dimension of the rail. Between the flanges of each pair, the base flange which supports the bottom of the rails may be turned up as at 6 to form, with the side and bottom flanges, locating sockets 'l for the lower end portion of the ladder rails.

Adjustable clamping bolts 8 connect adjacent flanges 5 back of the plane of the rails so that said flanges can be frictionally pressed against the rails to provide a rigid but releasable connection therewith.

Plate 3 is supported clear of the ground by legs '9 which extend in diverging relation to each other with a gradual downward slope from the plate adjacent the top corners, being also connected to the plate adjacent its bottom corners by braces 10. In order to prevent sidewise leaning of the ladder in the event that the ground or other supporting surface has a slope in a corresponding direction, one leg 9 is provided with a telescoped, adjustable extension H, so that one leg may be longer than the other if necessary to compensate for such slope.

This arrangement of the legs makes it impossible for the ladder to tip outwardly even with the weight of a person thereon in front, since such legs are preferably about three feet long. To maintain the ladder against tipping back or toward the wall I provide a rigid U-shaped member I2 disposed in a horizontal rearwardly projecting plane, the legs of said member being spaced approximately the same as the spacing of the rails Spaced pairs of clamping ears l3 project forwardly from the member [2 adjacent its corners, to straddle and be clamped about the rails at the top, as shown in Fig. 1. This member, when thus mounted, extends back from the ladder at the top to engage a wall or the like and thus enable the ladder to be maintained perpendicular and with the plate 3 and base flange 4 clear of the ground. Also the horizontal extent of said member I2 is such that the ladder when thus parallel to the wall is disposed outwardly therefrom a convenient distance for the occupant of the ladder to operate on said wall. In the event that it is desired to steady the ladder against a telephone pole or similar cylindrical member, a cross bar 14, having a concave poleengaging curvature I5 intermediate its ends, extends between the legs of members l2 near their free ends.

Since the ladder when in use is perpendicular the occupant cannot support himself by leaning against the ladder, as can ordinarily be done. I therefore provide a seat l6 for the occupant, which may be of the type generally found in agricultural implements. This is mounted on rigid rods ll which project from under the seat to the ladder, and then extend upwardly in parallel spaced relation to terminate in forwardly and downwardly facing rung-engaging hooks I8. The height of the upstanding portion of the rods is greater than the distance between adjacent rungs, so that when the hooks are engaged with one rung, the rods also engage the rung immediately below, as shown in Fig. 5, and prevent downward tipping of the seat.

The occupant of the seat rests his feet on a. rung below and when he wishes to change position it is only necessary to stand on the ladder while disengaging the hooks from one rung and re-engage them with another rung higher or lower, as the case may be.

From the foregoin description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

Whil this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined b the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In the combination of a ladder having an upstanding side rail and a unit projecting rearwardly from the ladder adjacent the top for engagement with a substantially vertical surface and adapted to then maintain the rail substantially perpendicular, a support for and engaging the base of the rail and a pair only of legs diverging and sloping downwardly and forwardly from the support to a level below that of the base and support when the ladder is perpendicular.

2. A device as in claim 1. with an extension slidably mounted on one leg and adapted to project from the outer end thereof.

3. In the combination of a ladder having side rails and a unit projecting rearwardly from the ladder adjacent the top for engagement with a substantially vertical surface; a device to support the lower end of the side rails including a main member, vertical pockets on said member to receive the lower end portion of the rails and legs projecting forwardly from and rigid with the member; said legs sloping downwardly from the member to a termination below that of the bottom of said member.

4. In the combination of a ladder having side rails and a unit projecting rearwardly from the ladder adjacent the top for engagement with a substantially vertical surface; a device to support the lower end of the side rails including amain member, vertical pockets on said member to receive the lower end portion of the rails and legs projecting forwardly from and rigid with the member; each pocket including flanges disposed on opposite sides of the correspondin rail and projecting rearwardly beyond the same and releasable clamping bolts extending through the projecting portions of the flanges.

ERNEST L. SEILER. 

